Liverpool have reportedly made contact over the possibility of signing Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, while Joel Matip could be on his way out.
The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the top centre-halves in Europe with the Serie A giants, making over 200 appearances for the club as they’ve flirted with domestic success and been a regular presence in European competitions.
From his solidity in defending to his composure in possession, Koulibaly’s all-round game has led to high praise and plenty of interest from elsewhere, and now it appears as though Liverpool may well be preparing to step up their pursuit.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Merseyside giants have already made contact over the Napoli star, while it’s suggested that owner Aurelio De Laurentiis could be prepared to sell this summer as alternative options have emerged in defence while a failure to qualify for the Champions League could force them to green light an exit to get a financial boost.
It’s added Koulibaly was valued at over €100m prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and so it remains to be seen how much his price-tag has dropped since, but it’s suggested that further talks between the relevant parties are expected in the coming weeks.
As part of the strategy to not only make space for him in the squad but perhaps to also raise funds to put towards his transfer fee, Tuttomercatoweb report that Matip could be sold, or alternatively he drops down the pecking order and perhaps someone else is sold to avoid overcrowding that department.
Time will tell if a deal is done, but for Jurgen Klopp, pairing Koulibaly together with Virgil van Dijk could give Liverpool a formidable defensive duo in the heart of their backline in the upcoming years.
Considering they already boast the best defence in the Premier League having conceded just 21 goals in their 29 games thus far, solidifying the backline further would give their rivals even more cause for concern over their ability to now build a squad capable of achieving a sustained period of success.